Duncan Family Farms Goes the Extra Mile for Sustainability Certification
March 25, 2022 Duncan Family Farms, a fourth-generation multi-regional certified organic farm and leading grower of baby leaf items, has earned the Sustainably Grown Certification, making it one of the first organic fresh herb, lettuces, greens, and vegetable companies to gain this credential.
The Sustainably Grown Certification Program, provided by SCS Global Services, is a comprehensive framework that guides agricultural operations with a roadmap to meet emerging market needs for social responsibility and environmental stewardship. The program helps companies recognize opportunities for innovation in sustainability, identify supply chain risks, and establish a path for continual improvement of farming practices.
“Since the fall of 2020, we’ve been committed to prioritizing this effort to earn this top certification as a reinforcement of our company values,” says Patty Emmert, Community Relations and Marketing Manager for Duncan Family Farms. “We are committed to leaving the soil better than we found it by responsibly managing and maintaining the land that produces our premium fresh products. With this extensive investment in time, dedication and capital, Duncan Family Farms will meet our own standard of excellence before providing our products to consumers in the U.S. and Canada.”
Duncan Family Farms uses cover crops, on-farm composting, water conservation, recycling, and tree planting to produce clean and healthy food, while leaving the environment in the best condition possible.
The process to achieve this level of accreditation is vigorous and requires compliance with several self-assessments, backed up by scrupulous third-party audits. Duncan Family Farms not only achieved the certification status, but has also incorporated the framework into the company’s business model and practices.
“Sustainably Grown certification is a big undertaking for any operation, but Duncan’s case was especially complicated by their year-round production across multiple states,” says Kevin Warner, Director of ESG certifications and strategy at SCS Global Services. “Fortunately, they were up to the challenge and successfully implemented the Sustainably Grown program at their operations in Arizona, Oregon, and California.”
In September, Duncan Family Farms launched its Organic Fresh Herb Line as a natural extension of its existing products. The company uses a multi-regional infrastructure and food safety protocols to offer customers consistent supply, healthy volume, and exceptional product quality.
“We take extra care to ensure we are going above and beyond the organic standard of today, and look forward to continuing to be intentional and thoughtful with our farming techniques now and in the future,” adds Emmert.
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